James Bernard

James Edward Bernard (born 1943) is an American mechanical engineer.

James Bernard was born to parents Nicholas and Gayle in 1943, and raised in Royal Oak, Michigan. Growing up near Detroit, Bernard became interested in automobiles from an early age, Bernard remained at the University of Michigan as a researcher until he joined the Michigan State University mechanical engineering faculty in 1976. In 2008, Bernard was named interim dean of the Iowa State University College of Engineering, and served until the appointment of Jonathan Wickert was finalized.

During his tenure at Iowa State, Bernard founded the Iowa Center for Emerging Manufacturing Technology and led its successor, the Virtual Realities Application Center, until 2003. Through his work with VRAC, Bernard served as a member of the board of directors for Engineering Animation Inc. from 1989 to 1995, and in the same positions at Mechdyne since 2003 and Demonstratives Inc. since 2008, respectively. and was granted emeritus status.

Bernard and his wife married in 1966 and raised four children. After he retired, the couple moved to Colorado.